“With federal Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada Francois-Phillipe Champagne’s approval of the merger, the Government of Alberta will be unwavering in our commitment to hold Rogers and Shaw accountable to the conditions of this deal and the commitments they have made to Alberta jobs, consumers and communities.  

“We recognize that Rogers has made significant financial commitments to invest in Alberta’s telecommunications marketplace. We welcome those investments. We will hold Rogers to their commitments to establish their western headquarters in Calgary and to invest the promised $5.5 billion to expand 5G coverage and services.

“We will closely monitor the requirement for Rogers to create about 3,000 jobs in Western Canada and invest a further $1 billion to connect rural, remote and Indigenous communities to high-speed internet.

“These conditions align with Alberta’s Broadband Strategy – our government’s commitment to eliminate the digital divide between Albertans in urban areas and those in rural, remote and Indigenous communities.

“The merger between Rogers and Shaw also has significant implications for consumers, the economy and the telecommunications landscape in Alberta and Canada. Affordability is one of this government’s top priorities and we will ensure Rogers-Shaw keeps all their commitments to expanding low-cost broadband internet plans. A new low-cost mobile offering will be launched for low-income Albertans, and Videotron offers plans with at least 20 per cent cheaper current rates and invests $150 million to upgrade their network. 

“Building in a fines-based framework for not meeting the conditions of the merger is a good first step to delivering reliable, affordable high-speed internet to unserved and underserved communities. While the telecommunications industry is under the exclusive jurisdiction of the federal government, we will hold Rogers and Shaw to their commitments outlined in this deal and protect Albertans’ interests going forward.”